The Civil and National Registration Office in Francistown has raised concern over a growing number of Batswana losing their identity cards. Addressing a Kgotla meeting in Block 5 location in Francistown on Monday, the Principal Registration Officer, Mothusi Mohutsiwa, said that despite of the efforts by her office to sensitize people to keep their identity cards safe, the situation is getting worse each day.
“The habit of Batswana negligently losing their identity cards is becoming a serious concern with our office. People should realize that an identity card is an important document that should be kept safe at all times and should be treated with serious caution,” she said.
Mohutsiwa said that there is also another growing trend by some Batswana who change the names of their children when registering them in schools without consulting their office.
“We have situations where children in schools are registered in different names, contrary to the ones on the birth registration certificates. This creates complications as the school certificate would bear a different name from the birth certificates,” she said.
However, the residents, in turn, expressed displeasure with the Civil and National Registration Office in Francistown saying that the office is very small making it uncomfortable to get services.
They pleaded with government to establish another office in order for them to access services easily.
 Mohutsiwa concluded by saying that they are aware of the situation and that they had already made recommendations to the authorities.
“We are very much aware of the problem of space at the Francistown Civil and National Registration Office and we have informed our seniors,” she replied.
